A working definition of a partnership is “a collaborative relationship between entities to work toward shared
objectives through a mutually agreed division of labor.”1
While this working definition is not very precise, it does help distinguish partnerships from other forms
of aid relationships. Partnerships are inherently complex vehicles for the delivery of practical solutions on
the ground and at the strategic level. Several studies of how partnerships operate indicate that practitioners
manage the complexity by adopting a long-term, flexible, and organic approach. Why organic? During the
course of these partnerships, organizations often evolve as they learn more about effective management, build
capacity, and gain valuable experiences. In that sense, partnerships act as learning mechanisms that teach you
to be better at what you do and enable you to achieve your goals.
If you are considering a potential partnership, you should become familiar with several key components of
the most common approaches to partnerships: